Tambourine.



No. 636,848. Patented Nov. l4, I899. 0. RICHARDS.

TAMBOURINE.

(Application filed Jan. 6, 1899.)

(N0 Modal.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ORLANDO RICHARDS, OF BRISTOL, WISCONSIN.

TAMBOURINE.

STECIFIOATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,848, dated November14, 1899.

Application filed January 6, 1899. Serial No. 701,361. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ORLANDO RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bristo], in the county of Kenosha and State of Wisconsin,have invented a new and useful Tambourine, of which the following is aspeciiication.

This invention relates to musical instruments of the tambourine class;and the object thereof is to provide such an instrument with means forincreasing and prolonging the vibration of the head of the instrument,and thereby adding to the volume of sound thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a musical toy especiallyadapted for children.

To these ends the present invention consists in the combination andarrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described,pointed out in the claims, and shown in the drawings.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the instrument. Fig.2 is a plan view having one of the heads removed. Fig. 3 is a transversesectional view on the line a: m, Fig. 2.

Corresponding parts are designated by like characters of reference inall the figures of the drawings.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the instrument is in the usualform, comprising a rim or band 1 and the usual circular or disk-likesounding-heads 2, there being two such heads instead of one, as in thecommon form. .A suitable handle 3 is provided exterior of the rim,whereby the instrument may be conveniently operated. The rim may be madeof wood or metal, as desired; but the heads should be of metal or othermaterial which will produce the proper vibration.

The means for increasing and prolonging the vibrations of the headscomprises a coil or convolute spring-wire gong 4, arranged within thebody of the instrument, preferably midway between the heads thereof, andwith its outer coil near the rim. A pin 5 extends inwardly from thecenter of one of the heads, which is perforated and carries the gong,which is spaced away from the head by means of a suitable collar 6 andis retained thereagainst by a nut or suitable fastening 7.

By securing the gong to the center of a vi= bratory head the leastmovement of the free end of the gong is transmitted to the center of thehead, which will be thereby vibrated to the greatest possible extent,thus increasing the tone of the instrument and causing the head tovibrate so long as the free end of the gong is moving. In addition tothis by locating the free end of the gong substantially midway betweenthe heads it can be thrown with greater or less force against the headsin succession, as by vibrating the instrument on an axis at right anglesto the axes of its head in the usual manner. This, in addition to theeffect produced by striking one of the heads with sui'ncient force tocause the gong to vibrate, will produce a varied and pleasing effect,and especially if the heads are of metal, as the peculiar vibrations ofthe gong itself will be added to the resonance of the metallic head.

By securing theparts together by means of the pin or bolt 5 they can bequickly assembled or taken apart for repair, or the gong may be entirelyremoved, so that the instrument can be used in the ordinary manner.

In the operation of the instrument it is manipulated by means of thehandle 3 to strike one of the heads with the hand or against anotherobject, whereby the heads are set in vibration, and the gong, which iscarried by one of the heads and movable therewith, is given a lateralmovement, striking the oppo site heads and increasing the volume ofsound. By forming the handle substantially bailshaped, with its endssecured to the rin1,the instrument can be held in one hand, so as to beeasily rotated or given a half-turn to bring either head in position tobe struck by the other hand. By reason of the convolute form of the gongit Will be vibrated more violently than the heads, and being connectedto one of them the gong will impart its vibration to the contiguoushead, increasing and prolonging the vibrations thereof, as will beunderstood.

It is not essential that both heads be constructed of material that willvibrate and give forth sound, as one such head to which the gong isconnected will be sufficient, the other head serving as a cover toprotect the gong.

As a toy the instrument is preferably constructed of tin or othersuitably strong sheet metal to form a durable device proof against aceases rough handling by young children. The gong may be of wire, asshown, or formed from flat spring metal, the object being to provide agong which may be readily thrown into vibration by striking the heads ofthe instrument.

By arranging the gong entirely within the body of the instrument it iseffectively protected against breakage or displacement, and byconnecting the same directly to one of the heads the vibrations thereofare effectively increased and prolonged, and the gong itself adds to thevolume of sound.

The size of the gong and the number of convolutions thereof may bevaried and the same may be connected to either or both of the heads, asdesired, and various other changes in the form, proportion, and theminor details of construction and arrangement may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope or sacrificing any of the advantagesof the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In atambourine, the combination, with a rim, of a laterally-projectingsubstantially bail-shaped handle secured thereto, an unobstructed headsecured to each end of the rim, and a convolute gong secured at one endto one of the heads with its outer coil adjacent to the rim and adaptedto be thrown into engagement with the head when the gong is vibrated.

2. In a tambourine, the combination, with a cylindrical rim, of abail-shaped handle secured thereto, a fiat disk-shaped head secured toeach end of the rim, one of which is perforated at its center, aperforated collar upon the inner face of said head, a convolute gongupon the collar, the inner end of which is provided with an eye, a pinthrough the eye, the collar and the perforation of the head, and a nutupon theinner end of the pin, said heads being parallel with each otherand unobstructed upon their outer faces and the gong lying in a planeparallel therewith and substantially midway therebetween.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ORLANDO RICHARDS;

Witnesses:

A. E. BUOKMASTER, W. S. GIBBON.

